As Beautiful as The Cornflower
by The Nine Tailed Winter Wolf
Summary: There is the slightest chance Elizaveta might be in love. Just the tiniest chance. As three days go by, she discovers who she really loves and who she really loathes. How will her lover prove his love? Sending flowers is a good way to start..
1. What will you Say?

Do I support PrussiaXHungary or AustriaXHungary? Well... maybe I support one or the other more or less, but it really depends. I wrote this fan fiction with the intention to reach out to both parings. This was intended to be a oneshot but two alternate endings have just written themselves and depending on the ending you'd rather read (one is AusXHun the other is PruXHun), you can either click "**Yes**" or "**No**".

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><p>As Beautiful as the Cornflower<p>

The gray, melancholic morning of June tenth wasn't very warm. In fact, it hardly felt like the refreshingly cool month it was supposed to be. The weather was as fridge and wintery as a cool day in December, at least that is what it felt like for Elizaveta. She stood on the porch of her _borrowed _house watching the storm clouds rolling in. Elizaveta was the sort of strong independent person to stand alone against the elements.

"Austrian territory.. is so beautiful." She breathed, admiring the first speck of clear-coulered raindrops as they began to fall across the landscape. As a country, she would normally be spending time on her own land, but lately she was under contract with her dearly beloved neighbor and wanted to spend as much time around him as possible. Being a maid and working weekends at his house was a perfect opportunity! _Anything for him.. I'd do.. anything._

"YO! Hungary!" The annoyingly familiar voice came from down the dirt-paved road. A slim figure riding a clean white horse came closer to within shouting distance. "I, the awesome me, thought of an excellent idea! Let's go hunting!"

Elizaveta turned her head to face the field of cornflowers, admiring their beautiful detail. "Oi! Oi! Hungary!" A thin-looking young man with spiky whitish hair and fierce red eyes waved from atop the horse. This time, she turned her whole body, pushed aside a circular white pillow from the porch bench, and sat down. Her folded arms and pursed lips might've given him a hint if he weren't so stubborn in his attempts.

"IT'S THE AWESOME ME! OVER HERE! HUNGARY!" Gilbert was well within talking distance by now, but he didn't seem to notice. He was practically two feet away from the porch where Elizaveta was. His horse protested slightly as he bent over the railing and waved a Prussian-blue glove at Elizaveta. "HEY! HEY!"

"As if I DIDN'T notice you." She spoke with an angry tone in her voice. "Go away." The glove hit her forehead. "_You're_ dead you little- OH! _Austria-sir_!" Elizaveta stopped her attempt to strangle Gilbert and looked up to smile at her long-time crush.

A second russet-coulered horse now trotted fancily up from behind the house. Its rider had an aristocratic sense about him and was dressed in all formal attire. "Elizaveta, _Servus_." He nodded his head slightly. She nodded her head back in acknowledgement of his presence and made a quick courtesy that ended in a slight fumble.

"Pffft! What was that? Keskeskeskes!" Gilbert pushed himself off the horse and slouched on the porch railing, one leg stretched on top the other. "Hey! Hungary! Let's go hunting!"

"Austria-Sir? What brings you here?" Elizaveta almost pranced across the porch and bent close to where the man dismounted the horse. She beamed at him, gripping one of the porch beams tightly. He brought the horse to a halt and it's hooves made a splash in a newly formed mud puddle. He dismissed the unsightly mud as well as he seemed to not notice the lightly falling raindrops.

"When I asked them to place you in a comfortable environment. I did not mean _this_ place. Surely they would realize I meant for a larger manor or-" He stopped and noticed the bright white horse grazing on the house's hedges. "Where _is_ he?"

"You think you're so funny, don't you? I'm right here!" Gilbert called from atop the porch. He leaned back so that the two could exchange _territorial_ glances, then bent forward again.

"I hardly noticed." Roderich replied coolly, then seemed to puff up a bit. "What business do you have here on Austrian territory, let alone at Elizaveta's house!"

"I come and go as I please." Gilbert smirked. "Anyway, Hungary and I go waay back. We're buddies." He was now enjoying annoying Roderich more than anything. He hopped off the railing and bowed to Elizaveta taking one of her hands by surprise. "My, Lady. I'd be the tree. If only you be it's flowers. I'd be the dew, If only you'd be the sunbeam-" She whacked him to the side of the head with such force he hit the floor with a _thick thudding _noise. Elizaveta looked up at Roderich, her face was bright red. No words came from her mouth.

"Man, Get out now! You are no longer a thriving power of the world and my soldiers could overtake you in a heartbeat. If you linger for one more second where you do not belong, I'll call for my finest riflemen." Elizaveta looked at Roderich and gave a distant sigh, on hand on the side of her cold cheek. "Shall we finish our talk inside? I came here on urgent business."

"Yes." Elizaveta hopped down one of the porch steps. The light drizzle of rain transformed into a downpour as she helped him up the stairs. "Just in time." She spoke. Her arm was linked tightly around his. "I've got some oatmeal cooking in the oven. I can heat it up with some almond spice if it is to your liking?"

"That would be wonderful." He smiled and opened the door for her. "Ladies first."

"Damned Idiot." Gilbert muttered, sitting cross-legged and rubbing his head.

"Sit right here." Elizaveta pushed forward an oak chair and barely motioned for him to sit before she spun around to the oven. It was a fairly modest sized kitchen, right off the cozy entrance hallway, filled with bright gray light that poured in from windows on all three walls. The rain pattered lightly against the windows, rhythmically, as if in a tune, and Roderich began to tap the wooden table with his fingers.

The kitchen appliances were all old-fashioned and looked as if they hadn't been touched for a while. Elizaveta was just glad the oven worked, as she opened up the oven and took out a sheet of freshly-made oatmeal cookies.

"Perfect." She hummed and set them by on the off-white counter top. "They'll be ready in five minutes time. Just let them cool." She smiled and moved forward to put her hands on the top of Roderich's chair.

"The scent is heavenly, oatmeal is my favorite." He turned to face her. "Miss Hungary, I did come to see you though, on urgent business. Nothing else."

"As I'd expected." She sighed and sat in the chair next to him.

"I hope you know times are very well these days. We as a whole, my government and people are thriving and enjoying peace." He paused and looked at Elizaveta who was smiling best she could. "-And on that note, would you marry me?"

Hungary's jaw dropped, just the slightest and she moved both her hands over her mouth. "A-Austria-sir! What are you saying?"

"You heard me correctly and I mean what I say." He looked out the window at the pouring rain outside. "I am truly sorry it is on such short notice."

"A-Austria- I can't believe!" She almost felt herself tear up, but fought it back with all her might. She sniffled a bit though.

"My leaders would think it best for the situation if we were conjoined, and I completely agree. We would not want have any sudden attacks from neighboring countries and if we were a conjoined force, we would surely be so strong!"

A hole in the window allowed for water to leak in and now the oatmeal cookies were like the tops of little boats floating in a puddle of rainwater. A gust of wind not only blew some water off the counter, but also made Elizaveta shiver. Roderich stayed firm and held out his gloved hand. "So is that a yes?" Roderich smiled.


	2. Yes

**Austria X Hungary Ending**

If you are a AusXHun, this chapter "**Yes**", is for you. This is what would have happened if Hungary said "**Yes**" instead of "**No**".

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><p>"Yes. yes." Elizaveta blushed. "Yes. Oh God. yes."<p>

"Excellent." Roderich said smiling as she grasped his hand tightly. "There's room enough on my horse for two. Shall we head back to the main estate right now?"

"Oh, I'd love too, but I've grown quite fond of this place. I still have much unpacking to do, and now I'll have to pack it up again. Give me the night, will you?" Elizaveta twirled around and finally noticed the oatmeal cookies. "Oh dear.."

"That's alright. I understand. I'll send a carriage for you tomorrow at noon." Roderich stood up and bowed. "If you will excuse me, I have some other business to attend to. Signing papers, a bit of a bore." He laughed and unexpectedly hugged Elizaveta tight. "I'm delighted you chose me."

"What do you mean?" She whispered, burying her face in his overcoat.

"Never mind that." He eyed the water-logged cookies in suspicion. "Maybe another time, Ms. Hungary." Roderich turned and walked out. His boots made a hollow stomping noise on the wooden floor as he walked out, and a minute later, a horse could be heard whinnying and trotting away.

"What was that?" Gilbert opened the window from the outside and made a grab for one of the cookies, which he ate without a complain. "Youmff said yesmf?" He began to munch on of the cookies.

"Of course I did!" She had half a mind to close the window on his head right then and there.

"Aren't you at all worried? You're going to one of those fru-fru high-class living estates. You'll wear frilly dresses all day, and uh, have to learn manners."

"I'm more concerned on how you know how get into my house even when the window's locked." She strode over to the window and looked him in the eyes. "The cabinet I'm opening now-" She fingered to open the cabinet under her. "Happens to be the one where I keep my frying pans."

"Oh, Hungary no." He looked disapprovingly at her.

"I bought a brand new one too." She grabbed the handle of the largest frying pan.

"I just came to say hi!" Gilbert began to look desperate to avoid the familiar WHACK from the pan.

"It's supposed to wash twice as fast and easy!" She smiled.

"Cornflower?" He asked and handed her a tiny blue flower through the window.

"Stain-free too! I hope that goes for blood, too" Her smile turned dark and Gilbert hopped down to the grass below.

"You're no fun anymore! I hope you know that!" He hollered. "You used to be a great guy! No way you're that awesome anymore! In fact, you're a-"

Elizaveta shut the window, and locked it. She was enraged that someone could make her feel so mad in just a few minutes of the greatest moment of her life. "I really hate that Prussia guy." She hit the table with such force that it shook. "At least I don't have to worry about him coming around anymore. Austria's house surely has security." Elizaveta hummed.

The night was peaceful and Elizaveta spent it reminiscence. "How nostalgic. I remember this." She slowly unwrapped a package. It was a porcelain doll dressed in Austrian clothing carrying a small goat in her arms. Its brunette hair was beautifully wrapped up in many braids that overlapped the bows that were intertwined within it. "Right after I found out I was a woman.." She laughed. "Mr. Austria was the first to, er, congratulate me. Even, after I beat him up so many times."

Normally, if Hungary ever noticed she was talking to herself she would've stopped, but she hardly noticed tonight. Instead, by candlelight, in the main bedroom of the house, she spoke softly about all the good memories she had had over the past centuries. She was feeling very auspicious tonight, too. "From now on, life will be easy."

The next day Elizaveta awoke at eight o' clock to go downstairs and prepare breakfast for herself. She dressed in a light pink and white Enlgish-style formal gown that she had uncovered in one of the boxes. She was feeling pretty today and the feeling wanted to drive her insane with joy, she even curled her hair tips slightly using a vintage hair curler. Breakfast wasn't the usual either. Two sunny-side up eggs, (to match the sunny weather), two strips of ham, one crisp Belguim waffle covered in syrup, and a glass of orange juice all were set neatly on the tablecloth-covered wooden table.

All the luggage she needed was placed in the entry hallway too and bound tightly together with leather straps. Packing up really wasn't that hard a chore. "I think the thing I'll enjoy most is not having to work as a maid anymore." She looked at a pigeon as it gazed at her from outside the window. Its head tipped to one side in confinement.

At noon exactly, there was a knock at the door and a well-dressed gentleman addressed her formally, presented her with a gift from Roderich, and helped her into the carriage. Everything was exactly as if it would be in a fairy tale. Elizaveta admired the gold paint that surrounded the inside of the well-lit carriage, and relaxed on one of the pillows. This was the kind of life she could get used to. When the luggage had been packed onto the top, and they were speeding away, only then did she notice Gilbert. He was asleep on the side of the house by the kitchen, a pile of oatmeal cookies around him. "G'bye old house." She almost smiled. "G'bye old friend."

The estate was even more beautiful than usual, she observed. The staff greeted her with delighted expressions and everyone was dressed up in festive Austrian or Hungarian clothing. "How wonderful!" She looked out the window. "I feel.. like a princess." As the carriage stopped, and Elizaveta got out, she was greeted by one of the maids who worked at the estate.

"I'm so happy for you." She grabbed Elizaveta's hand. "And a bit jealous. But, ah, I have a surprise just for you!"

She was hurried to and from buildings until she came to a green house where a small party was being held. Everyone welcomed Elizaveta with beaming faces and wide smiles. Belguim and Feliks were the first to come over and greet here.

"We're so glad!" They both hugged her tightly.

"When I first heard out I was all like OHMAIGAWD!" Feliks winked.

"Lucky, too. Both of you." Belguim crossed her arms and sighed. "You've been married. Only guy who's shown an interest in me was at least six hundred years old at the time. Wouldn't even work up the nerve to kiss me either... lucky you."

"Just yesterday was so.. dreary and now look where I am!" Elizaveta was almost out of breath.

"How cute!" Liechtenstein jumped up and hugged Elizaveta next. "I've been de v'one who's been working on your dress. It's so cute, but I really like de' v'one you're v'earing right now." Elizaveta smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you so much, you know, you can have it if you'd like."

"Really, oh tha'd be perv'ect!" Liechtenstein's waved her hand. "'Vait until you see you're 'vedding dress. So fluffy! I had 'Vash help me carry it all the 'vay!" Liechtenstein skipped joyfully over to a white garden table and uncovered a large box. "You're dress is inside, don't look at it though until your vedding day!" She smiled. "Othervise, it's bad luck!"

"She's really good at sewing. Trust me. I bet it's really complicated with a whole bunch of patterns on it.**" **Latvia wanderedup to Hungary and peeked inside the box. "Yup."

The rest of the afternoon was spent with dancing, drinking, and games played in the greenhouse. Elizaveta, Feliks, and Belguim were giggling and talking in the corner. Sealand, Latvia, and Liechtenstein were playing a small game of truth or dare. Switzerland, Lithuania, and Austria had set aside their differences and were now enjoying the party too, which went well into the evening too, when everyone moved into one of the larger ballrooms to have a dance. The ballroom was a huge, golden-themed room with white ribbons, enormous floral decorations, and a certain Victorian feel about it. The music was presented live by a small group of musicians who knew an excellent blend of old-age music as well as modern Beethoven and Mozart.

"Austria-sir. I want you to know. I regret nothing. I've loved you since the beginning." Elizaveta held Roderich's hand as they danced around the ballroom.

"-And to you Miss Hungary, I share the same feelings." He placed a tiny blue flower in her hair in the place of her normal marigold one. "May it never fade."

"And it never will." Elizaveta smiled. Everything after that second was a complete rush. Roderich had bent down and placed a kiss directly on her forehead. If it had not been for numerous years of training as a man, her knees would have surly buckled out from beneath her and she would've fallen. She closed her eyes and just let her feet follow the slow rhythm of the music. If she hadn't known any better, she'd say she actually did fall to the floor, because Elizaveta could not feel her feet. If anything, she wished that this feeling would last forever, no, she had to re-think that thought. The wedding would hopefully be within the month, that was if no political plans came up or huge wars broke out, and that day would hold the feeling she would want to treasure forever. Until that day came, however, she would be content to spend her days at her betrothed's side.

Elizaveta would be there to fill his coffee cup, after she had brought it up on a tray of brass and holding a glass creamer cup which would be filled to the top with a silken coffee cream. She would also be there to attend every single one of his inner city piano concerts as well as all of her own delightful private, one-on-one concerts. And if all plans followed through, she would be the one to make his breakfast, sweep the manor, wash the dishes, clean the sheets, water the green house plants, improve her own musical skills, serve lunch, entertain company, scrub the tub, be present for dinner at 6 o'clock exactly, clean up, and then finally, retire for the night. She knew she had a task-worthy life ahead, but it was all worth it when she would be helping Roderich with his duties. He was the man she had always dreamed of falling in love with and nothing seemed impossible when she was with him. Her touch drifted to the tiny blue cornflower in her hair. No, nothing in the world could have changed her mind and made things any different then they were now. This was certain.


	3. No

**Prussa X Hungary Ending**

If you are a PruXHun, this chapter "**No**", is for you. This is what would have happened if Hungary didn't say "**Yes**".

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><p>"Why, I…" Elizaveta stopped what she was about to say. "Mr. Austria, you see, actually. It was only June last month and .. and while Gemini and Capricorn compatibility.. to some extent.. is not of course without reasoning, and would you like another cookie?" She bent slightly and put her hand to her forehead. She was speaking nonsense.<p>

"Miss Hungary, forgive me, but I cannot understand you." Roderich looked troubled. "Is something wrong?" There was too much going on in her head to even compute the answer that wasn't even beginning to form inside her head. Yes or No? It was a simple question and even a young 5-year-old could mutter out the words yes or no, so why couldn't she? Elizaveta knew that she liked him and always had, but now that he was willing to marry her just like that, everything changed. It was hard to fight back the tears welling in the back of her eyes and she slowly was upright again. Everything seemed to warp before her eyes. "Let me, .. some air, please."

Elizaveta quickly picked up her underskirts and rushed through to the main door and onto the porch. Her retreat into the nearby field was quick and highly un-ladylike. She was such a fool to be treading knee-high in cornflowers and weeds while her clothes got caught. Halfway through she gave up and quickly undressed right there in the field. She threw off her bustle and skirts which were quite uncomfortable anyway and then took off her main dress. When she was finally done, all she wore was a long petticoat and a somewhat-revealing corset. However, Elizaveta kept running, regardless of what she was actually doing, and soon came to the edge of the field. The tree line was now right in front of her, but it was no obstacle for the mad woman. She leapt forward and ripped her way past the overhanging branches and tangling bushes.

"I have no idea what I'm doing, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm sure this is all symbolic of something…." The path soon became too wild and fierce and soon she had to find a different route east through the woods. At this point, Elizaveta didn't even know why she began to run, but she just had the feeling she needed to. This had to have been the stupidest thing she had ever done too, because she could no longer see the field and she could no longer tell which way was home. "Well. . okay." She sat down on a lump of green moss and took off her shoes. A narrow creek was straight ahead of where she had just sat and she had to bend her knees a bit so that she would not slide into the water. The moss felt good under her burning feet and she picked up tiny clumps with her toes and tried tossing them as far as she could with her feet. It was entertaining for only a few minutes until she finally could take no more and rested her head against a tree and closed her eyes.

In the next instant, Elizaveta awoke. Her right cheek was burning up with intense heat and her eyes fluttered open at once. A warm hand had been placed on the right side of her face to lift it up and she was in the act of being kissed. He was a tall, and very handsome prince, and Elizaveta was sure there was no reason why she had run away in the first place. She had forgotten everything. All that she knew was right in front of her, gently kissing her on the lips. Suddenly aware of her own consciousness she tried very hard to act asleep again but it was no use. He was amazing, astounding, a complete dream-come true, a prince. . no wait. . it was only that Prussia guy. Gilbert was the one who had bent down and kissed her.

Her heart began to beat faster than it was before and she and pretended to stir in her sleep. Immediately the hand was of her cheek and she knew Gilbert had collected himself and was now seated next to her beside the tree. She could still feel his warmth beside her from where she sat. It was nice. Elizaveta lifted her head and looked around. "Huh, what's going on? Gilbert, is that you?"

"Stupid, you ran off and it was really funny actually." He whispered, but quickly regained his confidence. He was obviously acting as if nothing had happened. He spoke a bit fast and it seemed different from the way he normally acted. " It started raining again, I just happened to remember you were out here. So, I came." Gilbert huffed. "It took me long enough to find you though, you really got yourself lost, idiot."

"Is that all you can do?" Elizaveta grumbled. Her perfect moment had been interrupted.

"What?"

"You call me stupid, or idiot. That's all you do really. I think you're mistaking me for someone else. For about as long as I've known you, you've always been putting other people down and raising yourself higher. I always thought it was because you were insecure or something, but now I'm starting to believe it's a disability." Although Elizaveta was fuming inside, she sat flawlessly still next to the man she was having an argument with. They both stared forward and did not look at each other. Now it was apparent that the rain had picked up again and was now pouring down all around them. The overhead branches of the tree protected them, but just barely.

"Heh, isn't that something. I do, don't I?" Gilbert spoke as he looked off into the green wood. "Maybe The Awesome Me, is a bit insecure." He spoke with the usual smile that tilted up in one corner. "-but don't you ever repeat that, Hungary."

Even if her heart had been beating ever so fast before, now it had completely stopped beating altogether. "Never mind, call me all the names you want, but never call me by actual name."

"Why not?"

"I hate you."

"Yeah, I figured." Everything was just so wrong, when Gilbert admitted his defeat. He had always been the overly-confident boy who was so hard to put down. And at the moment in time, he was so mellow it didn't seem like it was actually him. Elizaveta had to wonder a moment if this is what Gilbert was like when he wasn't acting so cocky. Despite the sudden calm, the weather relentlessly attacked the forest with its beautiful precipitation. Even the wind started to pick up to a dull moan.

"Well, I love you." Gilbert sighed. Silence followed.

"I know."

"NOW THAT'S JUST TWISTED AND WRONG!" Gilbert bolted upright and faced Elizaveta. "How can you just sit there and act so calm when my own heart and head feel like they're about to burst!" His sight focused directly at her.

"I told you I wasn't an idiot. I wasn't sleeping!"

"You were awake!"

"Stop yelling in my ear! It's annoying." Elizaveta turned so that her back was to him, but she could still warm herself against the tree trunk. Gilbert had quieted so much so that he stopped talking for thirty seconds straight.

"Before, why didn't you resist then?" He asked as he calmly sat back again.

"I thought it was a dream." Elizaveta tried to make her excuse work, but regretted it in a second. Her face turned red as a radish and she whipped around to face him. The crooked smile was now broadly upon his face.

"Is that a regular dream, then?" He asked.

She actually couldn't take any more of this cruel torture and began to fight back that choking feeling one gets before they burst into tears. All she could do was return his gaze without showing any emotion. Yes or No was still the question, it was just a different situation this time. Everything had always been so right, it was just so very hard to see. Deep down, she had always known that Roderich was a very serious and devoted nationalist. His sudden proposal had been nothing more than political. It was a way to bring together two allied countries and would probably be nothing more than that. All of those years following after a dream she could never have finally fell down on her now. The weight was unbearable and Elizaveta felt so many emotions that could never possibly be described again.

"Yes!" She bent forward, swiftly, and hugged Gilbert tightly. She never realized how cold she was until she had fully felt his body heat against hers. It was powerful. "I'm never letting go, either, you're really waaarm!" He was too shocked to say anything, but after a minute he threw his uniform over her. It smelled of gunpowder and was rough against her bare arms.

"Okay, everything's been resolved. The weather can too." Gilbert held her and looked up trying to hint to the weather to clear up, however, it kept raining. "Do you want to go straight back to the house once its stopped raining?" He asked.

"Yes, I would. I need to go back sometime to tell Roderich that I've refused." Elizaveta looked up. "I've refused his marriage proposal, but it's still likely our countries will be allied anyway, against our will."

"No wonder you were running." Gilbert tried to joke, but he was really nervous about finally being alone with, and not to mention hugging, Elizaveta Hedevary.

"It will be quick though, and I'll come out soon enough. There's so much I want to tell you. Would you wait for me, outside?" She asked.

"Outside on the porch?"

"No, in the cornflower field on the side of the house."

"Yeah, I'll be there." He smiled.


End file.
